Niraj Chag
{{Short description|British musician (born 1976)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
Niraj Chag is a London-based musical artist and composer. His musical style mixes Indian classical influences with contemporary stylings and layered, complex beats. Niraj's tracks were initially released on the Outcaste record label and later on his own Buzz-erk label. He has written and produced three albums released under his own name: Along the Dusty Road (2006), The Lost Souls (2009) and Mud Doll (2015).{{cite web |url=http://www.nirajchag.com/find_out_more.php |title=Niraj Chag - Find out more |website=www.nirajchag.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915181125/http://www.nirajchag.com/find_out_more.php |archive-date=15 September 2008 |url-status=dead}}
Early life
Chag grew up in Southampton, England.{{Cite web |date=2012-04-10 |title=New battle of Bollywood |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/new-battle-of-bollywood-7434335.html |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}} His family is Gujarati, and his parents moved to the UK from East Africa in the 1970s.{{Cite web |date=2015-06-24 |title=PODCAST: NIRAJ CHAG ON CREATING MUSIC & HIS NEW ALBUM MUD DOLL |url=https://kamlashow.com/2015/06/23/podcast-niraj-chag-on-creating-music-his-new-album-mud-doll/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=The Kamla Show |language=en}} His father worked on a bus and at a factory.{{Cite web |title=Making Soundwaves |url=https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/warwickshire/news/making-soundwaves/58735 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=www.whatsonlive.co.uk |language=en}} Chag started making music at age 11 and was involved in various musical projects including a hip-hop group and his brother's Bollywood cover band. Rejected from multiple musical degree programs, Chag is a self-taught musician.
Career
= Composing for Theatre, Film, Radio, and TV =
Niraj has worked on the British Asian musical Baiju Bawra, which opened in London's Stratford East Theatre in 2002 and was adapted into a radio play by the BBC Asian Network in 2011{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/apr/07/baiju-bawra-review|title=Radio review: Baiju Bawra|date=7 April 2011|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=26 July 2020}} and numerous soundtracks, including, for television, the BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated Power of Art (2007), The Age of Terror (BBC, 2008), Darwin's Dangerous Idea (BBC 2008), City Beneath The Waves: Pavlopetri{{Cite web|title=City Beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri (2011)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2433086/|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=4 August 2017}} (2011), Origins of Us (BBC, 2011), Jimmy and The Whale Whisperer{{Cite web|title=Jimmy and the Whale Whisperer (2012)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2433110/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ql_1|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=4 August 2017}} (Channel 4, 2012), Rise of the Continents (2013),{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01993gc/profiles/music |title = BBC Two - Rise of the Continents - Bringing continents alive with mus… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140417192456/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01993gc/profiles/music |archive-date=17 April 2014 |url-status=dead}} Our Girl (2013), Sex and the City (HBO, 2003), The Mystery of Romes X-Tomb (2013), Food Prices: The Shocking Truth (Channel 4, 2014), Worlds Busiest Railway (2015), Six Degrees Of Separation (2015), The Secrets Of Your Food (2017) and, for film, All in Good Time (2012).{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1980911/|title=All in Good Time|accessdate=26 July 2020|website=IMDb.com}}
In 2007 he composed the music for the Olivier award-winning stage play Rafta Rafta (Royal National Theatre).{{cite web |title=The Stage / Listings / Rafta, Rafta |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/23417/rafta-rafta |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704200023/http://www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/23417/rafta-rafta |archive-date=4 July 2008 |access-date=17 January 2022 |website=www.thestage.co.uk}}
According to notes from his website Niraj has composed music for over 20 dance productions including Shobana Jeyasinghs Where Is Dev?/Classic Cuts{{Cite news |title=Dev Kahan Hai? / Where is Dev? |url=http://www.shobanajeyasingh.co.uk/works/dev-kahan-hai/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |work=Shobana Jeyasingh Dance |language=en-US}}(Royal Opera House, 2012).
In 2012, Niraj composed the music for the West End Musical Wah! Wah! Girls{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Laura |date=1 June 2012 |title=Wah! Wah! Girls, Peacock Theatre, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9306061/Wah-Wah-Girls-Peacock-Theatre-review.html |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Telegraph.co.uk}} and the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Much Ado About Nothing.{{Cite web |last=Spencer |first=Charles |date=1 October 2012 |title=Much Ado About Nothing, Noël Coward Theatre, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9579478/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-Noel-Coward-Theatre-review.html |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Telegraph.co.uk}} In 2014, Niraj composed the music for The West Yorkshire Playhouse production of The Jungle Book{{Cite news |last=Hickling |first=Alfred |date=5 January 2014 |title=The Jungle Book – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jan/05/jungle-book-west-yorkshire-review |access-date=4 August 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}} and, in 2015, he composed the music for The Royal National Theatre's production of Dara.{{Cite news |title=Dara {{!}} Review {{!}} Theatre {{!}} The Stage |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2015/dara-7/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |work=The Stage |language=en-US}} In 2017, he created the sound design and score for the RIFCO Arts production of Miss Meena and The Masala Queens.{{Cite web |title=Miss Meena and the Masala Queens |url=https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/miss-meena-and-the-masala-queens/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=Watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk}} In 2018, he composed the music for The Captive Queen{{Cite web |title=The Captive Queen / Shakespeare's Globe |url=http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on-2018/the-captive-queen |access-date=2018-03-18 |website=Shakespearesglobe.com |language=en}} at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.{{Cite web |title=What's on |url=https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/ |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Shakespeare's Globe}} In 2024 he composed the music for the [https://www.rifcotheatre.com/ Rifco Arts] Musical production of [https://www.rifcotheatre.com/live-shows/frankie-goes-to-bollywood Frankie Goes To Bollywood] and The [https://www.rsc.org.uk/ Royal Shakespeare Company's] Production of The Buddha Of Suburbia for which he was nominated for a Whatsonstage award.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-09 |title=25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners in full – updating live |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/25th-annual-whatsonstage-awards-winners-in-full-updating-live_1664088/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |language=en-US}}
Having worked on the BBC Radio 4 adaptations of The Mahabharata{{Cite web |title=Exile, Mahabharata, Classic Serial – BBC Radio 4 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007742k |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=BBC}} and The Ramayana{{Cite web |title=Return, Amber Lone – The Ramayana, Classic Serial – BBC Radio 4 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vrbq7 |access-date=4 August 2017 |publisher=BBC}} Niraj collaborated with radio production company Wise Buddah to create the new station sound{{Cite web |date=2 September 2015 |title=Wise Buddah rebrands the BBC Asian Network |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/09/wise-buddah-rebrands-the-bbc-asian-network/ |access-date=4 August 2017 |website=Radiotoday.co.uk}} for the BBC Asian Network in 2015. In 2017 he created the music for one of BBC 1's new 'Oneness' idents featuring a troop of Bhangra dancers.
= Albums =
Niraj's first professional experience in music was working on Mark Hill's label. At age 19, Chag moved to Outcaste Records, a label that focused on releasing Asian music. Niraj released the single "Walk Alone" and contributed four tracks to the album Outcaste New Breed.{{Cite web |title=Various - Outcaste New Breed UK |url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Outcaste-New-Breed-UK/release/28744 |accessdate=26 July 2020 |website=Discogs.com}}
Chag worked on his debut album, Along the Dusty Road (2007), for 3 years as a side project to his score composition work.{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Rahul |title=BBC - Music - Review of Niraj Chag - Along The Dusty Road |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6g25/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} The album includes songs in 6 different languages.{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Allie |last2=Mackay |first2=Elizabeth |date=2012-04-03 |title=World music review: Asia – The Concordian |url=https://theconcordian.com/2012/04/world-music-review-asia/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |language=en-CA}} In May 2006 he released "Bangles", the first song from his album Along the Dusty Road, on the Buzz-erk label. According to notes from his website, "Bangles" was inspired by the journey his grandmother made in migrating to the UK from India via Africa.{{Cite web|url=http://nirajchag.com/along-the-dusty-road/|title=Along The Dusty Road|website=Nirajchag.com|accessdate=26 July 2020}} "Bangles" and "Khwaab" attracted the attention of new fans less familiar with his earlier work,{{Cite web|url=http://ethnotechno.com/niraj_dustyroad.php|title=Niraj Chag :: Along the Dusty Road|website=Ethnotechno.com|accessdate=26 July 2020}} both songs being playlisted on BBC and local radio stations{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/friction/playlist_archive_06_07_17.shtml|title=BBC - Asian Network - Friction|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}}
The success of the tracks led to Niraj recording a BBC session at their Maida Vale Studios, a live set at the inaugural BBC Electric Proms,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2006/asiannetwork/|title=BBC - Electric Proms - Asian Network night|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}} and the song "Nomad" was selected to be the iTunes free download of the week in June 2006.
In 2006, Niraj won "Best Asian Underground" at the UK Asian Music Awards.{{Cite web
|url=http://www.desihits.com/news/view/desi-hits-the-uk-amas-london-2006
|title=Desi hits the UK AMA's - London 2006
|website=Desihits.com
|accessdate=24 August 2010
|date=1 January 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311094336/http://www.desihits.com/news/view/desi-hits-the-uk-amas-london-2006
|archive-date=11 March 2011
|url-status=dead
}}
Chag's follow-up album The Lost Souls was released in early March 2009,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/c2xm/|title=BBC - Music - Review of Niraj Chag - The Lost Souls|first=Jerome|last=Blakeney|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}} featuring the singles "Baavaria" and "Ur Jaa." On 24 October 2009 Chag performed in concert with a live band at LSO St Luke's in London,{{Cite web|url=https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/cinema|title=What's on – Cinema | Barbican|website=Barbican.org.uk|accessdate=26 July 2020}} followed by a concert at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham.{{Cite web|url=https://cbso.co.uk/|title=Latest News|website=City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra|accessdate=26 July 2020}}
Niraj's third album Mud Doll was released in June 2015 and featured the singles "Rang Diya" and "Sab Qurban".
In April 2010 Niraj launched a new online 'music and life' blog called EasternSoul.net with the intention of 'providing an alternative to the modern trend of throwaway "here today, gone tomorrow" music.' EasternSoul.net features a podcast, interviews and features on contemporary Asian musicians{{cite web|url=http://www.easternsoul.net/about-eastern-soul/ |title=About |publisher=Eastern Soul |accessdate=4 July 2010}}
Discography
- Outcaste New Breed (Outcaste Records, 1998) Chag contributed 4 tracks to this compilation
- Along the Dusty Road (Buzz-erk Group, 2006)
- Rafta Rafta Soundtrack Album (Buzz-erk Group, 2007)
- The Lost Souls (Buzz-erk Group, 2009)
- Mud Doll (Buzz-erk Group, 2015)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nirajchag.com/ Official website]
- [http://www.easternsoul.net/ Eastern Soul]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chag, Niraj}}
Category:Asian Underground musicians